Clare Ward feared she wouldn’t fit in Disney rides- now she’s dropped five sizes and is running for charity

It was a trip to Disney World, where she feared she wouldn’t fit on the rides which kickstarted Clare Ward’s weight loss. Now she’s dropped five sizes and is preparing for a charity run

Clare Ward has lost 26kg after realising she was dangerously overweight. She’s done it through cutting her portion sizes, and using a meal company — and now she’s running a charity event.

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IT WAS a fear that she wouldn’t fit into rides at Disney World that initially spurred Clare Ward into losing weight.

And she also knew that if she didn’t, she could die.

The IT worker pledged to turn her life around — and has now lost 26kg.

It was a fear that she wouldn’t fit into rides at Disney World that spurred Clare Ward into losing weight. Picture: Supplied.

Mrs Ward, 45, from Cromer, said it was the trip last year that led her to starting to ditch her unhealthy habits.

And while she did lose a few kilograms ahead of the holiday, when she got back to the northern beaches, she decided to really make some changes.

She feared she’d miss seeing her children Tiarne, 21, and Aleisha, 18, have their own families if she didn’t.

Mrs Ward from Cromer, said it was the trip last year that led her to starting to ditch her unhealthy habits. Picture: Supplied.

Clare Ward, who has lost 26kg, said she feared she wouldn’t live to see her children have their own families if she didn’t lose weight. Picture: Supplied.

“If I kill myself by being obese I’m not going to be around when they get to have their families,” she said.

“I decided I’m not getting any younger and if I didn’t do anything it would eventually kill me.”

The realisation things had gone too far came after self-confessed yoyo dieter Mrs Ward booked the holiday last year to Walt Disney World in Florida with her sister Andie Highams.

Mrs Ward confessed she was a little worried about the rides, even though she’s not a big fan.

Clare Ward, said she started losing weight to go to Disney World, where she was worried about fitting on the rides. Picture: Supplied

“Even walking through the turnstiles I thought am ‘I going to fit through? Emotionally you’re affected by it and it’s also embarrassing.”

After the trip, Mrs Ward shed the weight by altering her eating habits, plus running, and she has dropped from a size 26 to a 16 or 18.

She mostly eats Lite n’Easy meals and also makes her own salads, steak and vegetables.

Clare Ward is training with Olympian Emma Lincoln Smith for an epic charity run for Make a Wish foundation.

It’s a far cry from how she used to eat.

“My portion sizes would be the killer,” she said. “I would always get large sizes if I got takeaways. I found comfort in food.”

Now, next weekend she’ll run the City2Surf, something she wouldn't have considered before.

Clare Ward will run the City2Surf, something she wouldn't have considered before, for Make a Wish Foundation.

She’s being coached by Emma Lincoln Smith, who raced skeleton at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and has raised $10,000 for Make A Wish Australia

She wants to double it before next weekend’s event, and hopes to get ten firms to donate $1000 each.

Donate here.